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6023 results in Facet Publishing

Page 273 of 302

  • 10 - Main issues for implementation

  • from Part 3 - Implementation
  • Kelvin Smith
  • Book:
    Planning and Implementing Electronic Records Management
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 October 2007, pp 161-168

  • Summary

    Designing the electronic records management system involves a great deal of technical planning and discussion. Implementation is a much more practical challenge. It will involve a great many management skills – project management, procurement, change management and training. All these are examined in the following chapters. This chapter looks at some general points relating to implementation, at particular issues that may affect it, such as hybrid records, e-mail and vital records, and at procedures for a post-implementation review.

    The key aspect of the implementation of electronic records management, and its main objective, is to integrate the new system with current policies and practices so that as soon as possible it becomes the norm. This is quite a challenge. As the following chapters try to explain, it is not something that will happen overnight and it requires dedication and understanding by all parties concerned. The risks involved can be minimized through careful planning and documentation of the implementation process. In order to plan effectively, you will need to take into consideration several factors, such as organizational culture, current IT infrastructure, financial and other constraints, and overall business strategies. Implementation will vary from organization to organization but there will be several common activities:

  • • communication – keeping staff informed of progress, how the implementation affects them and where they can get advice

  • • making available policies and procedures relating to electronic records management

  • • evaluating available skills and organizing training events

  • • organizing support functions such as accommodation

  • • assigning and reviewing access rights to records

  • • issuing formal reports for management and project board members

  • • gathering information relating to implementation – take-up, user problems, change control, etc.

    • An underlying requirement, which has to be borne in mind at all times during implementation, is that information must always be readily available. The business of the organization cannot stop while machines are being configured, data is being converted, etc. This can, of course, be achieved technically but also needs to be planned carefully so that all users are confident that their working routines will not be unduly disrupted.

    You may be interested in the following list whose contents have been garnered from a trawl of several websites on electronic records management projects.

  • 14 - Training

  • from Part 3 - Implementation
  • Kelvin Smith
  • Book:
    Planning and Implementing Electronic Records Management
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 October 2007, pp 195-200

  • Summary

    Training is the last, but no less essential, step in implementing the electronic records management system. This short chapter examines the key elements of training, concentrating mainly on delivery approaches. It presumes that some basic training – on records management principles and practices – has already been undertaken.

    Procedural/technical training

    User training will need to be a mix of procedural training – how the file plan works, naming conventions, disposal scheduling, etc. – and technical training – how the system functions. These are normally best undertaken together; indeed, they are probably inseparable in that a procedural understanding needs to be achieved by using the new system. Training should occur while installation of the new system is taking place so that users can immediately apply what they have learnt as soon as the system goes live.

    There will be a practical problem that needs addressing and which will affect the programme or schedule of training that you will want to draw up – the availability of computers. Part of this is also the optimum number of attendees that will make the training sessions effective and worthwhile. Taking both these points into consideration, ten has generally been shown to be the best number for face-to-face training sessions.

    A timetable of training sessions should be drawn up so that participants know well in advance when they will be expected to undertake the requisite training.

    Delivery methods

    Delivery should consist of a package of face-to-face/hands-on training and the provision of user manuals. It is generally not possible to train staff in one way without the other. In particular, user manuals are essential for later reference as well as being useful for those members of staff who may take longer than others in grasping training points in the hands-on forum. They can be provided in paper form or made available on an organization's intranet. User manuals, while focusing on the technical operation of the electronic records management system, should not be too technical themselves. They need to be understood by the average user, who will not have had any detailed technical training on, for example, the maintenance of computers or the structure of metadata schemes. The best user manuals use a combination of straightforward language, diagrams and screenshots.

  • 1 - Underlying principles

  • from Part 1 - Preparation
  • Kelvin Smith
  • Book:
    Planning and Implementing Electronic Records Management
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 October 2007, pp 3-18

  • Summary

    This chapter describes general principles of records and information management – those that are relevant to all records in whatever format. An understanding of such principles is essential to the implementation of electronic records management systems. It summarizes each of the seven principles and examines each one in turn.

  • • Principle 1 It is difficult to imagine – especially for those of us who have been in work for thirty years or more – how we managed before the use of computers became a fact of everyday life. Records managers, of course, were not the first professionals to realize the huge potential of the technology but within the past ten years or so electronic ways of working have become so embedded in the profession that we cannot manage without them. At the same time we must recognize that the technology is principally available as a tool to enable us to undertake our work more effectively and efficiently. We should not allow it to rule us. The technological skills of information and communications technology (ICT) staff will be necessary but a records management system must be overseen and managed by the records manager. The boundaries of records and information management and information technology management have become blurred in recent years. More and more records managers have ICT knowledge and skills, and more and more ICT practitioners have records management knowledge and skills. Each profession needs to work in partnership to the benefit of both.

  • • Principle 2 In the past five to ten years there have been two major driving forces in building effective records and information management systems and procedures: in the public sector there has been Freedom of Information legislation (in the UK and many other countries); and in all sectors the development of electronic ways of working. However, this ignores the fact that there is one driver that has been around for much longer – the need for ever more efficient business practices. Records management is, and has always been, capable of making a major contribution to achieving this. At the same time, however, it has been largely neglected. To some extent this has been the fault of the profession itself; it has had a somewhat passive and pessimistic approach to its marketing.

  • 2 - Tools and technologies

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 15-46

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The purpose of this chapter is to introduce a range of tools and technologies and to consider their application in blended learning. It is divided into five main parts: technologies in the classroom; virtual communication tools; social-networking software; e-learning systems; and mobile learning. As a result of reading this chapter, readers will have an overview of the range of technologies that may be used to support their customers, end-users or colleagues.

    Technologies in the classroom

    This section considers technologies that are commonly used in face-to-face learning situations. The technologies covered are PowerPoint, interactive whiteboards and audience response systems.

    PowerPoint

    PowerPoint is a relatively easy communications tool to use but it is too often misused. Its main purpose is to support a presentation rather than to replace the presenter. PowerPoint presentations often include example screen-shots, links to websites or databases, and supplementary materials, e.g. access to audio or video clips. Common problems with the preparation of PowerPoint presentations include the production of too many slides, presentation of too much detail on each slide, and the over-use of sound and other effects. Problems with the use of PowerPoint in the support of presentations include reading off the slides, and its use as a replacement for cue cards.

    Well produced PowerPoint presentations tend to:

  • • be used to present supplementary materials, e.g. images, screen-shots

  • • use an appropriate level of detail, e.g. no more than seven words per line and seven lines per slide

  • • use a range of professional images, e.g. photographs

  • • not use dissolves, spins and other transitions

  • • make limited and appropriate use of sound effects.

    • Software such as SnagIT may be used to capture and edit screen images and this enables very professional-looking presentations to be constructed with examples of online searches or the use of specific ICT tools (see www.techsmith.com/snagit/). In the absence of such tools, it is possible to edit screen-shots using tools, such as Paint, which are available in the accessories folder on most computers. Increasingly PowerPoint presentations are used with interactive whiteboards and/or audience response systems.

  • 5 - Planning and designing learning activities

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 99-126

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The aim of this chapter is to provide guidance on the design and use of different learning activities and technologies. Blended learning programmes are likely to include a diverse mixture of activities that together enable individual learners to achieve their learning goals and outcomes. This chapter provides a range of activities that may be used both online and offline, in the workplace and in the training room, and by individuals or small groups. Chapter 6 considers working with learning groups in more detail.

    This chapter considers two main topics: general design principles behind developing and using different learning activities; and an alphabetical list of activities and their application in blended learning programmes. Chapter 6 considers group activities such as team-building, problem-based learning and project-based learning. It also considers the group processes involved in some learning activities and looks at how to manage large groups and diverse groups.

    Design principles

    For both individual e-learning and face-to-face activities, the design process involves answering the following questions:

  • What are the aims and indicative learning outcomes?

  • How will you enable the learner to achieve these outcomes?

  • Consider the learning process – is it an individual, small group or large group activity?

  • Consider the interaction structure – what are the levels and types of collaboration required in the activity?

  • How much time will be required by the learners to complete the activity?

  • What learning resources do you need to prepare or use for this activity?

  • What (if any) technologies will be involved in the activity?

  • How long is the activity likely to take?

  • How will you assess learning?

  • How will you evaluate the activity?

    • Once you have answered these questions it is worthwhile carrying out the research necessary to provide you with up-to-date information concerning the topic that the activity will focus on. An important stage in the design process is to produce an outline structure that provides all the information required to complete the activity (Figure 5.1).

  • 6 - Working with groups

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 127-150

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The aim of this chapter is to provide guidance on facilitating group work. Blended learning programmes offer many flexible approaches to group work and this may involve individuals meeting face-to-face and/or in a virtual environment. Online group work provides new opportunities for individuals to learn and work together as it means they can collaborate across traditional time and space boundaries.

    The chapter starts by considering a number of specialist group learning activities, including team building and inquiry-based learning. This is followed by a general overview of group processes, including the group development process and team roles. Next there is a section that looks at online group learning processes and this includes an adaptation of Gilly Salmon's model of e-learning. This is followed by a discussion about working with diverse learning groups. Individual ILS tutors are likely to work with groups of varying sizes, from four to 400 people, and the section on working with large groups focuses on mass lectures and on managing large groups in an e-learning environment. Finally, there is a section on working with challenging learners.

    Group learning activities

    This section considers learning activities that are commonly designed around group work, and it is worth noting that many of the activities described in Chapter 5 may be used as either individual or small group activities, e.g. quizzes, exercises and simulations. This section considers team-building activities and examples of inquiry-based learning, including problem-based learning, project-based learning and work-based learning

    Team-building activities

    While icebreakers are a useful technique for helping learners to get to know each other it is sometimes worth spending additional time getting to know each other and becoming confident about working together. Examples of group building activities that may be used in a face-to-face context include those involving children's toys such as Lego™ or Duplo™, or asking a group to build the highest tower possible that supports a fresh egg at its highest point, using ten sheets of paper and ten paperclips (the tower should support an egg for one minute). I have used the following ‘desert exercise’ (source unknown) in both face-to-face and online contexts during the early stages of a number of blended learning programmes for library and information workers. Example 6.1 is the script from the e-learning version.

  • 7 - Working as a tutor

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 151-172

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The purpose of this chapter is to explore issues associated with working as a tutor in a blended learning programme. Reading this chapter will enable library and information workers who are involved in the design and delivery of blended learning programmes to have an understanding of their role and responsibilities. Library and information staff may deliver or support teaching and learning in a blended learning programme in a number of different ways:

  • • Lead and facilitate all learning and teaching activities, including face-to-face and/or online provision.

  • • Co-facilitate a variety of face-to-face and/or e-learning activities as part of a blended learning programme delivered by a multi-professional team.

  • • Provide face-to-face or online support to learners who are accessing online learning opportunities using ICT in the library or e-learning centre.

  • • Provide additional support to a programme facilitated by another tutor, e.g. face-to-face on a help desk, or via telephone, e-mail or a virtual learning environment.

    • Information workers who are involved in facilitating and supporting blended learning programmes need to develop and use a range of teaching and training skills. Although working in a virtual environment requires many of the same skills and techniques that are used in a face-to-face environment, it also requires the development of new approaches to communicating with learners. This chapter will consider the following topics: principles of tutoring; e-tutoring; presentations; working with a co-tutor; and student helpers.

    Principles of tutoring

    In recent years the landscape of education and training has become more complex as models of teaching and learning have shifted from a didactic tutor-centred model of learning to one that is more student-centred. There has also been a shift from face-to-face or e-learning programmes to blended learning programmes. In addition, individual library and information workers may be working in a context where they are required to work collaboratively in teams that may be designing learning programmes based on different underlying pedagogies. Consequently, this means that tutors must be extremely flexible and adept in working with a range of pedagogies and different approaches to teaching and learning. Figure 7.1 illustrates two extreme approaches to teaching and learning (from Goodyear, 2000), and in today's world tutors need to be able to span both of these extremes.

  • 8 - Communities of practice

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 173-200

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Librarians and information workers have a long history of working together and anyone reading the professional literature will soon realize that there are many professional groups and organizations that promote networking and collaborative working. Membership of these groups often provides access to information, help and support as well as informal mentoring and professional development. For many library and information workers, membership of these groups or communities is an important aspect of their development as professional practitioners. They provide opportunities for support, coaching and mentoring, as well as a group of like-minded individuals willing to work together on shared problems and issues. Communities of practice provide a means of enabling groups to come together and learn from and with each other. Many professional groups and organizations now support communities of practice and these are frequently mediated by a website hosting virtual communication tools.

    The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the concept of communities of practice, and these are distinguished from communities of interest. This is followed by an outline of the characteristics of communities of practice, which are illustrated with a number of practical examples of library and information communities of practice. An extensive case study exploring the long-term impact of a multi-professional blended learning community is presented in this section. This is followed by an outline of the processes involved in establishing a work-based community of practice. The final part of the chapter considers the topic of mentoring, as this process is often located within a community of practice.

    Communities of practice and communities of interest

    There is a large and developing academic literature on communities of practice and Andrew Cox (2005) provides a helpful comparison and summary of four seminal works on this subject: Lave and Wenger (1991); Brown and Duguid (1991); Wenger (2003); and Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002). Ideas presented in this chapter focus on those developed by Wenger, McDermott and Snyder (2002), as they have developed the concept of communities of practice by linking it with professional or work-based communities.

  • 1 - Introduction

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 1-14

  • Summary

    The aim of this chapter is to introduce blended learning in the context of information and library services (ILS), and also to introduce the book and its structure. Following this introduction, the chapter considers the following topics: teaching and training in the 21st century; what is blended learning?; and the structure of the book.

    The aim of the book is to provide a practical guide to library and information workers who are involved in education and training, and who are interested in designing and delivering blended learning experiences to their colleagues and customers. The term ‘blended learning’ has risen in popularity from around 2000 and, in the context of this book, it is used to mean a holistic approach to learning that involves a blend of different approaches, e.g. face-to-face and e-learning, the use of different technology-based tools, or the blending of classroom-based and work-based learning. This is explored in more detail in the next section.

    One of the challenges of writing this book is that this is a rapidly developing field so my focus is on providing the underpinning theories behind good-quality blended learning and a range of practical examples. In addition, I consider some of the many challenges currently faced by ILS staff, including the need to work with very large groups and also with diverse groups. In taking this approach, I hope that this book will provide a useful resource for both experienced practitioners and those who are relatively new to the design and delivery of blended learning. I also consider project management in the context of the design and delivery of new or adapted blended learning programmes. Many ILS establish projects, sometimes using external funding, as a means of developing their education and training provision. The chapter on project management (Chapter 9) provides a practical overview to this subject using examples from current practice.

    I have based this book on information and knowledge gained from:

  • • my experiences in the design and delivery of traditional training programmes, e-learning programmes and also blended learning programmes

  • • discussions with colleagues working in ILS

  • • feedback from colleagues who have attended my workshops (based at CILIP) and ILS conferences

  • • visits (both real and virtual) to a wide range of ILS

  • • professional networks and conferences, and also the literature.

  • 3 - Models of teaching and learning

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 47-70

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of those theories of learning that are particularly relevant to blended learning. This is an important topic, as understanding the theoretical ideas that underpin learning enables librarians and information workers to design, develop and deliver effective blended programmes and activities. In addition, library and information workers may be involved in working in partnership with colleagues who have a different understanding of learning and teaching; consequently, understanding different pedagogies is sometimes very helpful when working in multi-disciplinary teams.

    Learning is a complex and messy business, and it is difficult to summarize learning theories without risking over-simplifying the topic. In addition, although the topics presented in this chapter are organized under separate headings there is much overlap between different ideas. The first topic considers the context of learning, i.e. the physical, virtual and social environments in which learning and teaching takes place. The context of learning helps to shape the types of learning processes that occur and may contribute to motivating or de-motivating learners (and also tutors). This is followed by a section that considers individual approaches to learning by presenting two different approaches to individual learning styles. There is an active debate about the value of the concept of learning styles and some of the research in this area is vigorously critiqued. Learning styles are included here because the concept is widely used in many educational institutions. In addition, it provides a valuable metaphor for thinking about individual approaches to learning and one that enables tutors to understand the need to provide a varied learning experience.

    The next section provides a brief overview of teacher- or tutor-centred approaches to learning and teaching. Increasingly, education and training providers, and also individual tutors, are moving from a tutor-centred to a learner-centred approach to teaching and learning. Learner-centred approaches to teaching and learning are explored in more depth, including the idea that knowledge is socially constructed and learning is socially situated. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of a range of specific approaches to teaching and learning that are commonly associated with blended learning and these include action learning, inquiry-based learning (including problem-based learning, project-based learning and work-based learning) and reflective practice.

  • 4 - Planning and designing blended learning programmes

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 71-98

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The purpose of this chapter is to provide guidance on the design and development of blended learning programmes. Library and information workers are frequently involved in the development of blended learning programmes and they may be working with ILS colleagues or in multi-professional teams.

    This chapter is divided into five main sections. The first section provides an overview of the design and development cycle, and this is followed by sections that consider: developing a blended learning experience including the use of learning objects and developing detailed documentation; technical issues; copyright and other intellectual property issues; and, finally, delivery and evaluation.

    Design and development cycle

    Spending time on the design and development cycle enables you to focus on developing a blended learning experience that is responsive to the learners and their needs. It enables you to explore and design a programme that provides an appropriate combination of the features of blended learning programmes that were first presented in Chapter 1 and are repeated here:

  • • time, e.g. synchronous or asynchronous learning activities and communications

  • • place where learning occurs, e.g. on campus, in workplace, at home

  • • different information and communication technologies (ICTs), e.g. CD/DVD, first-generation internet technologies, social-networking software or Web 2.0, or new developing technologies

  • • context of learning, e.g. academic or workplace

  • • pedagogy, e.g. tutor- or student-centred, behaviourist or constructivist

  • • focus, e.g. aims of learning process presented by tutors or aims negotiated and agreed by individuals, groups or communities

  • • types of learner, e.g. learners with different roles, such as student or practitioners, or multi-disciplinary or professional groupings of learners and teachers

  • • relationships with others in the learning process, e.g. individual learning, group learning, or development of a learning community.

    • The design and development process for a blended learning programme is cyclical and involves five stages (Figure 4.1):

    Each of these stages is considered in detail below. Whether the blended learning project is a major one that will run over a number of years and involve a multiprofessional project team and hundreds of students or a small-scale project involving an individual information worker, the project leader will need to work through the design and development cycle.

  • 9 - Managing blended learning projects

  • Barbara Allan
  • Book:
    Blended Learning
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2007, pp 201-222

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Many library and information workers are involved in managing or working on projects that design, develop and implement blended learning programmes. For example, they may be involved in the development of reusable learning objects, of a new website or portal, or of interactive training materials.

    Project management is a key transferable skill (Milner 2007) and it is essential for library and information workers to be able to manage projects and to work effectively within project teams. This chapter provides guidance on project management and covers the following topics: principles of project management; the people side of project management; working in collaborative and multi-professional teams; obtaining financial support; and gaining accreditation for your programme.

    Principles of project management

    There is an extensive literature on project management. Allan (2004) provides a detailed guide set in the context of ILS, and more general textbooks include Maylor (2003) and Lockyer and Gordon (2005). In addition, funding bodies such as the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) provide guidance on project management (www.jisc.ac.uk) and projects that are funded by this body will need to use their guidelines and documentation processes.

    The traditional project management literature developed from research and practice in industry and military projects and, as a result, offers an approach that is embedded in the scientific management field. These traditional approaches to project management tend to be concerned with splitting the project into its constituent parts and then managing and controlling the project process in a rather top-down, authoritarian manner. While it is important to approach project management in an organized and logical manner, it is also important to appreciate the importance of people and the management of the relationships aspect of a project.

    How does project work differ from the day-to-day work in a library or information department? The characteristics of projects include:

  • • having a definite start and end date

  • • being unique and novel to the people involved in the project

  • • having limiting factors, e.g. time, resources

  • • having outcomes that usually result in change

  • • having a single point of responsibility.

    • If you are involved in a new project, the first question to ask is ‘How complex is the project?’ Extremely complex projects require the use of project management tools and techniques whereas relatively simple projects can be managed with a plan written on a single sheet of A4 paper.

Page 273 of 302